Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez can be accused of many things since he came into the position, but favouring his friends is not one of them.
Before he took over there were concerns over his ability to reshape the squad and transition away from veterans with whom he had shared a dressing room for many years.
18 months on from his appointment, Gerard Pique is gone, Jordi Alba is on his way out, and while Sergio Busquets is leaving of his own volition, the veteran spine of Barcelona will be no more next season.
Speaking to Esport3, Xavi revealed that it he struggled with making those decisions greatly, in an interview carried by Marca.
“When you have to make decisions contrary to what the player would want, it starts to get difficult. I had to tell Pique to step aside, that he would play less. It was even hard for me to sleep, because we had a lot of fun together.”
Alba’s departure came somewhat later, but he explained that after an initial frustration, the former Valencia left-back responded well.
“With Jordi Alba you have the feeling that you are failing as a friend, but you have to prioritise the team.”
“It happened to me with Luis Enrique, you don’t understand it, you have the feeling that you have to play after so many years as a starter. Jordi got angry, you have to understand it. But later there was a group chat and he told us that he was one hundred percent committed. And that’s how it was, like Pique. They knew how to leave at the right time.”
Few tasks are harder than moving a club away from living legends, who not only command important roles on the pitch, but also dominate the dressing room. Perhaps there were few better placed to manage that change of cycle than Xavi. Either way, it is a move that has felt natural whereas when he arrived in the job, both Pique and Alba were essential pillars of the team.